Eligibility for OBCs at most 10% less than gen category: SC

The Supreme Court on Thursday held that the minimum eligibility percentage for admission in central universities for OBC category should be at most 10 percent less than that of general category students.

A bench headed by Justice R V Raveendran said that the eligibility criteria for OBC category students should not be decided on the basis of admission given to the last candidate in general category.

The bench, however, clarified that there would be no disturbances in the admissions which have already been done by the universities for this academic session.The court’s clarification came a petition filed by P V Indersan, a former professor of IIT Madras, seeking its direction in the light of discrepancies in implementation of OBC quota in different educational institutions.

Indersan had approached the apex court challenging a Delhi High Court judgement which said the cut-off marks for OBC candidates should be 10 per cent less than the minimum eligible marks for general category candidates.

He pointed out that there are discrepancies in implementing OBC quota in central universities.

He had submitted that Delhi University is following a different yardstick by which the gap in cut-off for OBC students and general category students should not be more than 10 per cent where as in JNU, the practice of 10 per cent relaxation in minimum eligibility criteria is being followed.

The apex court, after hearing all the sides, upheld the Delhi High Court order.